Replies

1. 
   bill_1010 | Sep 25, 2002 04:06pm | #1

   how much are you taking off in one pass?  Seems to me youre trying to bite off more then your planer can chew

1. 
   mikkimel | Sep 25, 2002 06:06pm | #3

   i've tried to do it little by little, 1/32, 1/16, i'll try it at one height, then lower, then lower,

2. 
   nigelUsa | Sep 25, 2002 05:20pm | #2

   Check the blades are VERY sharp. and check the driven nut is tight at the motor end of the machine.

1. 
   mikkimel | Sep 25, 2002 06:07pm | #4

   ok, driven nut.  Excuse my ignorance, but can you explain in more detail.

1. 
   nigelUsa | Sep 26, 2002 12:44am | #10

   If you have the Delta 540 model. The cover on the right of the machine needs to be removed and underneath is another cover over the belt and pullies. Sometimes the driven pully nut comes loose and needs tightening. Be careful because the pully is aluminium.

   Edited 9/25/2002 10:41:01 PM ET by NIGELUSA

3. 
   noone51 | Sep 25, 2002 06:19pm | #5

   I have experienced this problem when attempting to fix up a piece of rough lumber with a twist or bow in it. Once you get it to a fairly even thickness it should begin to feed properly since the feed rollers will be in contact through the entire length. Pushing or pulling wood through these small planers is not uncommon to me. I just try to maintain a steady rate that mimicks the normal power feed rate.  

4. 
   Jack_Pine | Sep 25, 2002 07:45pm | #6

   Is yours a 22-560C?

   I have one and plane quite a bit of rough lumber.  What I've found through experimentaion and disassembly of the planer (caused by a loose cutterhead pulley nut), is that the reason you have to push it through the planer is that the rubber infeed roller cannot get enough purchase on the rough surface of the lumber, and that the rough surface of the lumber causes to much friction on the underside.  This causes the board to stall.  If yours is like mine it doesn't matter how thick the board is, or really how long it is, what species, as soon as both sides are relatively smooth it works perfect.

   How to fix it.  Smooth the both sides of the board with a jointer or hand plane first.  You don't have to take much off, just the worst of the fuzz.  A side benefit of this is that the infeed roller will not get as chewed up as mine.

   Another thing to check as part of a routine maintenance check (apparently these planers are prone to this) is to check the cutterhead pulley nut and make sure it is tight. Mine loosened and it cost me a drive belt, pulley, and belt cover.

   Scott

1. 
   mikkimel | Sep 25, 2002 07:52pm | #7

   that sounds like you've had the exact same problem, and i have noticed that when i planed some spanish cedar down, it got easier and eventually worked perfectly.

   thanks for the info, at least i know i'm not crazy.  unfortunately, i don't have a jointer yet, but it's on my christmas list.

   what part of canada are you from?

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 25, 2002 08:00pm | #8

   This was great info!  I have a new Delta 12.5" planer that has worked great on the relatively few boards I've put through it.  But last week, I ran some 3" rough (very) cedar boards through and had this problem with 2 of them.  Glad to know it was just the surface of the boards, and not the planer.  They too were easy to feed once the fuzzies were gone.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   mikkimel | Sep 25, 2002 11:03pm | #9

   norm abram makes it look so easy.  I thought the planer was junk.

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 26, 2002 05:44am | #11

   I fed some real nasty stuff through mine today, and it came out looking great, once I got the feed direction right!  Man, feed the wrong way and it can come out looking like it was attached by a crew of strange creatures wielding miniature chisels (tearout).

   This is part of my "figuring out" my planer.  I have various odd pieces of wood laying around, some of which I can't even identify, except hardwood vs. softwood.  If it's pretty flat, I clean it up and run it through the planer in one direction or another, see what it looks like when it comes out.  Have a beautiful piece of 3/4" x 12" x 3' old mahogany that I almost threw in the wood pile before I took a close look and ran it through the planer.  Had been part of some old cabinet I guess.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   Jack_Pine | Sep 26, 2002 09:18pm | #14

   Northern Manitoba, find The Pas look 100 km north, or find Winnipeg and look 750 km North along the Saskatchewan Border. Little town called Cranberry Portage.  Where are you from?

5. 
   FreeGee | Sep 26, 2002 02:16pm | #12

   Hi,

   seing all the suggestions I would like to add one more. I don't know your machine but I had trouble with my thicknesser. The height setting of the knives was rather critical on my machine. If set too high the infeed roller would only bearly grab the wood causing it to go "stick slip" through the machine. With the knives further down in the cutting block the problem was solved. In addition to this keep I keep the support platform (in/outfeed table) lubricated with some (candle)wax.

   Gert.

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 26, 2002 07:24pm | #13

   I think the mikkimel's planer has quick-change knives which are set by indexing pins (like my little Delta) -- however, I'm going to follow your lead and clean and wax the table on mine before I run another rough piece of stock through it.  See if it helps.  Realized while I was reading your post that the rough stock probably does affect the surface of the table some.  Good idea!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)